Tuesday, 30 November 2010 11:41
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| Polar bear spotted at Yukon River mouth. Alaska Dispatch. |
Polar bears are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The warming Arctic has jeopardized the sea ice the bears depend on for survival, scientists say.
"This critical habitat designation enables us to work with federal partners to ensure their actions within its boundaries do not harm polar bear populations," said Tom Strickland, assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks in a statement Wednesday. "Nevertheless, the greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of its sea ice habitat caused by human-induced climate change. We will continue to work toward comprehensive strategies for the long-term survival of this iconic species."
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell said in a statement Thursday that the state is considering its options, including a legal challenge, to oppose the classification. "This additional layer of regulatory burden will not only slow job creation and economic growth here and for our nation, but will also slow oil and gas exploration efforts," Parnell said in in the press release.
Edward Itta, mayor of the North Slope Borough, also expressed concern with the designation, saying he worries it could impact subsistence hunting, projects in some northern villages, and routine North Slope oil and gas development. "What's most aggravating in all of this is that it won't save any sea ice, so it's not a real solution to the problem," Itta said in a statement.
According to Fish and Wildlife's press release, "Terrestrial denning habitat includes lands within 20 miles of the northern coast of Alaska between the Canadian border and the Kavik River and within five miles between the Kavik River and Barrow. Approximately 96 percent of the area designated as critical habitat is sea ice habitat. Throughout most of their range, polar bears remain on the sea ice year-round or spend only short periods on land. There are two polar bear populations that occur in the U.S.; the Chukchi Sea population and the Southern Beaufort Sea population located to the west and north of Alaska."
Environmentalists, who have been advocating for more protections for polar bears, praised Fish and Wildlife's designation but remained concerned how federal officials will manage the critical habitat.
"The critical habitat designation clearly identifies the areas that need to be protected if the polar bear is to survive in a rapidly melting Arctic," said Brendan Cummings, senior counsel with the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. "However, unless the Interior Department starts to take seriously its mandate to actually protect the polar bear's critical habitat, we will be writing the species' obituary rather than its recovery plan."